Raj Mohan Chandra, a social activist who waged legal battles against several police officers and the land mafia in cases of human rights violation and land grabbing was murdered in Tiruvannamalai on Monday morning.
Chandra was returning to his residence in Rajiv Gandhi Nagar near Simha Theertham on his moped after purchasing milk when the assailants waylaid him on the Tiruvannamalai- Bangalore National Highway around 6 a.m. They threw chilli powder on his face, slashed his neck and head using sharp weapons and fled. Mr. Chandra died on the spot.
Superintendent of Police R.V. Ramya Bharati visited the spot.
Chandra’s wife Mini alias Eliyamma Joseph, a nurse in a private hospital, in her police complaint stated that that she was chasing her pet dog on the street and saw her husband, who was about to turn into the street. Just then, Venkatesan, an AIADMK municipal councillor, Selvam, Veerasamy, Meenakshi and two others threw something at Chandra’s face and attacked him.
[Venkatesan was booked in a case relating to the attack on CPI (M) district secretary M. Veerabadran last month for countering his land grabbing activities.]
The Tiruvannamalai town police filed the First Information Report based on the complaint. In her three-page complaint, Mini also gave an account of problems Chandra had with a police officer and Venkatesan.
Two persons — D. Murugan (32) of Vada Andappattu and Chandrasekar (29) of Then Pallipattu Sri Lankan refugee camp — surrendered before Polur Magistrate court and confessed to the crime.
